Old Man writing. I have just received Deer’s letter with a reply to
mine of
December 10[1]
and I am answering immediately. You don’t have to ask me for a criticism of
Deer’s views! I will say straight out that I am furious with Deer’s
timidity and naïveté.

1) To write to the C.O. from the C.C. in Russia is the height of
tactlessness. Everything must go through the C.C.’s representative
abroad, and no other way. I assure you, this is essential if you want to
avoid a terrific row. The C.O. must be told once and for all that there is
the C.C.’s plenipotentiary representative abroad and that’s flat.

2) It is not true that there was some sort of agreement about the
League minutes. You said plainly that you were leaving the question of
publishing or shortening them to us; (As a matter of fact there was no
“agreement” for you to make on this. Not even for the
entire C.C.). You are hopelessly muddled up on this, and if you
were to write a single incautious word, it will all appear in the press
with an immense hullabaloo.

3) If in your letter to the C.O. about No. 53 you did not use a single
word of protest against the obscenities about Schweitzer, bureaucratic
formalism, etc., then I am bound to say that we have ceased to understand
each other. In that case I shall say no more and come out as a private
writer against these obscenities. In print, I shall call these gentlemen
hysterical tricksters.

4) While the C.C. is muttering about positive work, Yeryoma and Martyn
are stealing Nikolayev from it. This is a downright disgrace and another
warning to you, the hundredth, if not thousandth. Either we win
over the committees and convene a congress, or ignominiously
retire from the scene under the hail of obscene attacks by the C.O., which
denies me access to Iskra.

5) To speak of a conference of the committees and of an “ultimatum”
(after they have ridiculed our ultimatum!) is simply
ridiculous. Why, the Martovites will simply burst out laughing in reply to
this “threat”! What do they care about ultimatums when they brazenly hold
back money, attack the C.C. and openly say: “We await the first
break-down.”

Can Deer have forgotten already that Martov is a pawn in the hands of
cunning persons? And after this to still talk about the attitude of Martov
and George towards Deer and Nil! It is offensive to read this
naïveté. In the first place, both Martov and George don’t care a
hang about all your Deer and Nils. Secondly, George is pushed right into
the background by the Martovites and he says plainly that they don’t listen
to him (which is clearly evident from Iskra). Thirdly, I repeat
for the hundredth time that Martov is a cipher. Why didn’t that good soul
Hans make friends here with Trotsky, Dan and Natalya Ivanovna? What a pity
the dear fellow missed such a chance (the last chance) to make a
“sincere”, “happy peace”.... Would it not be wiser to write letters
directly to these “masters” than to weep on the neck of that rag doll,
Martov? rust try and write, it will sober you up! And until you have
written to them and personally received a spit in the face from them, don’t
bother us (or them) about “peace”. We here can clearly see who is doing
the chattering and who the bossing among the Martovites.

6) I gave my arguments in favour of a congress already last time. For
heaven’s sake, don’t pussyfoot to yourself; postponing the congress would
only be a proof of our impotence. And if you continue harping on peace, it
will not only be Nikolayev that the enemies will take from you.

It’s either war or peace. If peace—then it means that you are giving
way to the Martovites, who are waging a
vigorous and clever war. In that case you will suffer in silence while mud is
being flung at you in the C.O. (=the ideological leadership of the Party!). In
that we have nothing to talk about. I have already said in the
press everything there was to be said, and will go on saying everything
in the full sense of the word.

It is clear to me that the hounding we feared if I were to take Iskra
on my own, has started all the same, only now my mouth is stopped. And it is
childishness to rely on Andreyevsky’s talk about the influence of
Lenin’s name.

If it’s war, I would ask you in that case to explain to me by what means, other
than a congress, a real and honest war can be carried on.

I repeat that a congress now is not pointless, for Plekhanov is no longer with
the Martovites. Publication (which I shall secure at all
costs)[3]
will finally separate him from them. And he is already at loggerheads with
them.

The Martovites will not even mention the Six at the Third Congress. A split
would be better than what we have at present, when they have dirtied
Iskra with tittle-tattle. But they will hardly seek a split at the
Third Congress, and we shall be able to hand over Iskra to a neutral
committee, taking it away from both sides.

7) Against the League, I shall do my utmost to achieve a decisive war.

8) If Nil is still for peace, let him come and talk a couple of
times with Dan. That will be enough, I’m sure!

9) We need money. There is enough for two months, and after that not a
farthing. Don’t forget we are now “keeping” a bunch of scoundrels, who
spit on us in the C.O. That is called “positive work”, Ich
gratuliere![2]